Whip

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Version 0.31: This article is up to date for the latest stable release of Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup.
Name Whip
Skill Maces & Flails
Damage 6
Accuracy +2
Base delay (%) 11 (110%)
Min delay 5 at skill 12
Hands 1H
Size Medium
Ranged? No
A long plaited strip of leather. Originally developed for use in disagreements with cattle, this simple weapon is now widely used to settle differences between all sorts of creatures.

“Not with a Club, the Heart is broken
Nor with a Stone —
A Whip so small you could not see it
I've known
To lash the Magic Creature
Till it fell,
Yet that Whip's Name
Too noble then to tell.”

-Emily Dickinson, “Not with a Club, the Heart is broken”. ca. 1865.

This weapon falls into the 'Maces & Flails' category. It is a one handed weapon.

Whips are one of the better early game weapons, a direct upgrade to clubs. They have good attack speed, even at low skill, and are easy to find off kobolds and other early humanoids.

Strategy

At 0 skill, a +0 whip is stronger than a short sword, dagger, or club, but weaker than a spear. It does not have the stabbing benefits of the former two weapons, but hits harder.

A whip with a "flat" brand, namely venom or electrocution, is a powerful weapon in the early game. A whip of of either brand can kill most enemies up to Lair with minimal skill investment. Without a good brand, you should upgrade to a mace or better, at least once you get some Maces & Flails skill.

Note that there is some risk with using whips at 0 skill. Since you attack at 1.1 delay (which is >1.0), monsters have a chance to get an extra turn on you. However, whips are stronger on average. If you need to use a 0 skill weapon in the first place, you'll likely prefer the better performance of a whip. At 2 Maces & Flails skill, whips attack at 1.0 delay, negating this risk entirely.

Image
Mundane Bullwhip.png
Magical Bullwhip2.png
Artifact Bullwhip3.png
Snakebite Whip snakebite.png

History

  • Prior to 0.14, whips could possess the reaching brand.
  • In earlier versions of the game, whips did as little as 4 damage and had 12 base delay, which made them close to worthless.
Weapons
Axes BattleaxeBroad axeExecutioner's axeHand axeWar axe
Maces & Flails ClubDemon whipDire flailEveningstarFlailGiant clubGiant spiked clubGreat maceMace (Hammer) • MorningstarSacred scourgeWhip
Long Blades Demon bladeDouble swordEudemon bladeFalchionGreat swordLong swordScimitarTriple sword
Polearms BardicheDemon tridentGlaiveHalberd (Scythe) • SpearTridentTrishula
Ranged Weapons ArbalestHand cannonLongbowOrcbowShortbowSlingTriple crossbow
Short Blades DaggerQuick bladeRapierShort sword
Staves LajatangMagical staffQuarterstaff
Throwing BoomerangDartJavelinLarge rockStoneThrowing net